Welcome to the Hotel Transylvania

We celebrated Halloween this year at the Old Parktonian Sports Club in the Bordeaux section of Randburg. (Actually it was Mishief Night, not Halloween. But if Halloween is a foreign concept in South Africa that is only now slowly gaining favor, Mischief Night would be an even tougher sell.)














Costumes, candy and an outdoor showing of Hotel Transylvania.

A Haunted Valley Lodge!

We decorated Valley Lodge a little ... even though we had zero chance of trick-or-treaters on Halloween!

masquerade!

But that didn't stop us from dressing up. I like costumes that are high concept with minimal effort.

Inspiration for this year's costumes ...

Alice the Corpse Flower

For me, Chicago Botanical Garden's Alice the Corpse Flower ... without the hideous smell!











 

Homo naledi rocks!

For Vince, Homo naledi ...

Canus naledi

For Lou & Serge, the much less-celebrated (and faux) discovery of Canus naledi.

 

We bought that beaded skeleton mask from this street vendor!

We skipped out on the movie and headed to Parkhurst for dinner at dog-friendly Coobs.

Happy Halloween from Valley Lodge!

Good news ... when we got home, there were no smashed pumpkins or egged cars at Valley Lodge. No signs of mischief whatsoever. I guess that's a good thing and yet it still makes me kinda sad :(

Beechwood Garden

As one of the open garden days arranged by the Gardens of the Golden City, a visit to the lovely heritage garden of Beechwood in Hyde Park has become an annual must-do on the Johannesburg social calendar.

A lake and six ponds including an iris pond and a lotus pond. An immense kitchen garden and an English country rose garden. Fountains and sculptures. This garden had everything!

the kitchen garden outside the catering kitchen

an al fresco luncheon was served by Susan Grieg

there were frogs in the fountain in the center of the formal rose garden

waterblommetjies!

inviting

the Jacarandas watched over the estate

Perfect timing for peak Jacaranda blooming!

full bloom

coral tree and Jacaranda

The roses were magnificent!

wisteria and rose-bedecked colonnades

waterlilies

For the remaining scheduled open garden days of the season, visit the website for Gardens of the Golden City.